


H is for Halloween

by ChokolatteJedi



Series: A to Z After Death (Take 1) [7]
Category: World War Z (2013)
Genre: A-Z, Community: 1-million-words, Community: fic_promptly, Costumes, F/M, Family, Halloween, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 03:54:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerry returns from a rescue mission with a surprise for the family</p>
            </blockquote>





	H is for Halloween

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the my 1MW bingo table with the prompt, "Costume," and my A-Z Table with the prompt, "H" and the fic_promptly prompt "Author's choice, author's choice, For You"

"Where have you been?" Karin demanded as Gerry entered their apartment, his arms full of lumpy packages. "The recovery crew was supposed to have returned the night before, but they had been delayed and had only just gotten in this morning.

"We had to make a small detour," he explained, quickly unloading his burdens onto the kitchen table. "Where are the kids?"

Karin frowned. "Out with Segen. There was some kind of announcement."

Gerry nodded. He knew what that was about, had in fact been the cause of it, though indirectly. The announcement shouldn't take too long, and the others should be home soon. The small settlement at Nova Scotia had quickly become too small, and eventually the military had cleared out the Israeli's fortified compound to serve as a replacement. Announcements were handled in a much quieter fashion than before, but still at the large square that he had seen.

"We found a large group of survivors this time," he said quickly, wrapping his arms around Karin in a silent apology for the delay. "Almost a hundred able bodies and a few dozen wounded."

"That many?" Karin replied, a faint note of hope in her voice. They hadn't found a group larger than a dozen or so in months. Gerry and the rest of the recon team had been fairly amazed and impressed themselves.

"The whole group of them, camped out in the middle of Zeke central." Gerry hesitated, knowing that she wouldn't like the next part, but then plowed on. "We've got to go back again quickly - they had been in contact with another large group until the day before we arrived."

Karin's lips pressed together tightly, but she didn't complain. He had long ago explained why he was an important part of the rescue teams, and she no longer argued, but she didn't have to like his long absences. The phrase _"For the greater good_ had become a strained refrain in their relationship these last few months.

Gerry quickly continued. "We think there might be a few more large groups in the Los Angeles area, so there are going to be a whole lot of patrols going out to recon. This place will be darn near empty for a little while." He added the weak joke at the end, hoping to scramble up a smile; Karin hadn't smiled in months, except at the children.

Before she could reply, the door burst open and the three kids returned, followed up a surprisingly pleased Segen. "Did you hear?" Gerry was instantly asked by three voices as he knelt to give them hugs.

"Hear what?" he asked, pretending confusion.

"About the party tonight!" Connie said.

"It's Halloween!" Rachel added. "And they-

"They said there are costumes!" Tomas interrupted.

"Did they really?" Gerry asked, still feigning surprise. "What kind of costumes?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Karin move towards the lumpy bags he had brought home, Segen a beat behind her. His girls had always been clever.

"All kinds of costumes!" Rachel was saying.

"They said they raided a warehouse!" Connie piped in.

"We did," Gerry admitted, wondering which of the children would pick up on his words and the lumpy packages behind him. True to form, Tomas, always watching, was the first. His mouth dropped open in shock. The girls, prompted by this, quickly followed.

Gerry quickly rose and grabbed the first bag. He knew from the feel of it which one it was. "For you," he said to Connie, pulling out the same Mad Hatter costume that she had seen last year, a week after they had bought her a firefighter one. She squealed and grabbed in from him, spinning around the room.

Grabbing the next bag, Gerry also identified it by feel, and beckoned over Tomas. "For you," he said, revealing the Thor costume, complete with hammer accessory. Tomas grabbed it and joined Connie in her dizzy whirl.

"And of course for you my dear," Gerry said, pulling over the last of the smaller bags. Out popped an official Disney Rapunzel costume, complete with twenty foot wig for Rachel. They had been insanely expensive before the apocalypse, and if there was one thing Gerry could appreciate about their new "commandeering" lifestyle, it was the relative ease of providing for a family of six.

Escaping from the children's enthusiasm, Gerry quickly grabbed the next bag. "For you," he said, proffering it to Segen. She opened it curiously, revealing the pirate queen costume within. Smiling, gave him a quick hug, before joining the children and sharing her prize.

"And for me?" Karin asked quietly.

"For you," Gerry proffered the bag.

Karin didn't look inside it, but smiled wryly, guessing. "The one we'd been looking at?" she guessed.

Gerry grinned. "Authentic Leia white dress and Storm Trooper costumes - the good ones" he assured her.

"Not Han Solo?" she teased.

Gerry felt a tightening in his gut. It had been so long ago since they had had this conversation, safely at home without an idea of the impending apocalypse. So long ago since they had made these plans, since he had started putting aside a little extra money into the Christmas present budget to allow for fancy Halloween costumes. So long ago before this entire thing took on a depressingly macabre feel that the higher-ups were trying to avoid by emphasizing the fun dress up aspect of this particular Halloween. But he had held it together despite everything in the last few months, and he wasn't going to break down in front of his little family now.

"No-" he had to clear his throat. "No, Radley threatened to duel me over it, so I let him have it."

"He needs all the help he can get," Karin acknowledged with a smirk.

"Daddy, can we try them on now?" Connie interrupted.

Grateful for the distractions, Gerry gave his permission, squelching the fearful, tired part of him beneath the part that was eagerly waiting the impromptu fashion show. Later, he would let himself feel, but for now, he would just enjoy his Halloween.


End file.
